A delegation from Seychelles will participate in the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP 16) to the Convention on Biological Diversity from October 21 to November 1, 2024, an event marking a crucial moment for global environmental policy. As part of the delegation, there will be a senior project coordinator from the Biodiversity Conservation and Management Division, Indira Gamatis. She told SNA that preparation has already begun for the past several months with Seychelles weighing in on several points. These are the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA) that provides the Conference of the Parties (COP) and its other subsidiary bodies with timely advice relating to the implementation of the Convention. She said Seychelles will focus on several agendas namely invasive alien species, nature-based solutions, conservation and sustainable use of marine and coastal biodiversity specifically island biodiversity as well as priority actions for coral reefs. “An agenda item that is very important to us, is the Biodiversity and Climate Change agenda item. To look much more at the synergies between biodiversity and climate change, which is very important for us in Seychelles considering our small island and of course all of the impacts climate change has on Seychelles and biodiversity. Similarly, it is also looking at how biodiversity can also aid in combatting the effects of climate change,” she added. In a recent virtual press conference, the Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development of Colombia and COP16 President-designate, Susana Muhamad, highlighted the conference's ambitious goals, including elevating the profile of biodiversity within the climate crisis and materialising the principle of whole-of-government and whole-of-society mobilisation. According to Astrid Schomaker, executive secretary of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, a record-breaking 14,000 delegates are expected to attend. The conference will focus on key themes including peace with nature and the synergies between climate change and biodiversity loss. One of the most anticipated outcomes is the potential operationalisation of the multilateral mechanism for sharing benefits from digital sequencing information (DSI) on genetic resources. This complex issue involves how industries and companies that use DSI, often from resources in the Global South, can fairly compensate for its use. Resource mobilisation is another important topic that will be covered at the conference. The main topic of discussion will be how to get more funding for biodiversity protection and how to access it; new funding methods may be developed as well. The private sector's role in biodiversity conservation will be a key focus, with dedicated forums and discussions on how businesses can implement the Kunming-Montreal Agreement framework. Japanese companies, in particular, are expected to bring innovative approaches to the table.

President Emmanuel Macron this week hosts dozens of leaders of French-speaking countries for a summit he hopes will help boost French influence in a world beset by crises, in particular Africa. The leaders will gather Friday and Saturday for the «Francophonie» summit, the first time the event has been held in France for 33 years. Macron is also holding bilateral talks with several top guests on Thursday. France's sway in Africa has been badly eroded by successive coups in Mali in 2021, Burkina Faso in 2022 and Niger in 2023 which saw Paris-friendly governments replaced by juntas who cosied up to Russia. Meanwhile the crisis besetting Lebanon, a former French colony targeted by daily Israeli bombardment and now a ground incursion as Israel attacks the Shiite militant group Hezbollah, has again shown up France's lack of influence in the Middle East. Centrist Macron is hosting the showpiece event at a time when his own domestic standing has been chipped by the outcome of this summer's legislative elections which forced him to nominate rightwinger Michel Barnier as head of a minority government in a potentially testy «cohabitation.» One of Macron's key guests at the summit will be Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau who is himself facing a political crisis after seeing off two no confidence votes in as many weeks. Macron kicked off a day of bilateral talks with a meeting at the Elysee palace in Paris with Georgia's President Salome Zurabishvili, herself a former French diplomat and dogged opponent of a new law in her country seen as anti-LGBT. The summit will use different venues on each day, with leaders gathering on Friday at a chateau in Villers-Cotterets northeast of Paris where Macron last year inaugurated a centre for the French language. On Saturday, proceedings will move to Paris. Louise Mushikiwabo, secretary general of the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF) that groups 88 member states, acknowledged that the body had a «modest» influence. - 'Space for dialogue' - The OIF is not able to «resolve the complicated crises of the world, but can make things move forward,» she told AFP in an interview. While key African leaders such as Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi will be present, those of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have not been invited. One prominent guest will be Chad President Mahamat Idriss Deby, an ally of France and regular visitor to Paris, whose Sahel nation still hosts French troops even after their departure from Mali, Burkina and Niger. Guinea has been invited despite its junta under General Mamady Doumbouya taking power in a 2021 coup. A delegation from Lebanon is coming but not its prime minister. Macron told l'Union newspaper he sees the Francophonie as «a space for mediation», «a space for dialogue to resolve political differences», citing a territorial dispute between the DRC and Rwanda on which he hopes to make progress at the summit. The OIF, whose missions are to «promote the French language», «peace, democracy and human rights», «support education» and «develop economic cooperation», estimates the number of French speakers at 321 million across five continents, making it the 5th most spoken language in the world. © Agence France-Presse

The Senegalese town of Kayar sits on the doorstep of the vast Atlantic Ocean, but it is a farm located further inland that provides part of its fish production. The farm's pioneering founder, Khadidiatou Sar Seck, began the project around 15 years ago in the West African country, where fishing is a key part of the national identity. Fish accounts for over 70 percent of household protein intake, and the fishing industry provides around 600,000 direct and indirect jobs in a population of 18 million people. But a resource that once seemed inexhaustible is becoming increasingly scarce due to overfishing, illegal catches and global warming. The volume of catches by traditional wooden fishing canoes plunged by 58 percent between 2012 and 2019, according to the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF). For Senegalese faced with a high cost of living and widespread unemployment, prices are rising and an essential foodstuff is becoming increasingly unaffordable. Hardly a day goes by without reports of a migrant boat leaving, being intercepted or capsizing on the perilous route between Senegal and Spain's Canary Islands. Many who board the boats are fishermen or those living along the Atlantic coast, which is heavily reliant on the industry. Like its predecessors, the new government has vowed to promote fish farming and attract industry investment. - Untapped potential - «Our objective is for aquaculture to make a major contribution to the country's marine production and to help achieve food sovereignty,» fisheries minister Fatou Diouf said at a conference on sustainable aquaculture in the capital Dakar in September. President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has made food sovereignty a policy priority since coming to power in March. Despite its immense potential, Africa accounts for only around 1.9 percent of global aquaculture production, according to a 2024 report by the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Asia accounts for 91.4 percent. Aquaculture has long been practised in Senegal but has always struggled to take off. The country created a dedicated agency in 2006 but the practice still supplies barely one percent of the country's overall aquatic produce. For Seck, standing next to pools teeming with catfish and tilapia, the difficulty is that Senegalese people do not know the product, and finding quality varieties is difficult. Feed for farmed fish has to be imported and is expensive, access to land is challenging and marketing is complicated, she added. Seck sells her products directly to individuals, wholesalers and fishmongers. But the director of the national aquaculture agency, Samba Ka, has big ambitions for the industry. «Anything is possible if investment and partners follow suit,» he said. «We need everyone to get involved, to organise fairs and culinary workshops, to invite chefs, so that people know that this is something that can be eaten and that is good for health and nutrition.» - 'No more fish' – The national agency hopes to produce 65,000 tonnes of farmed fish in 2032 and create around 50,000 jobs. In a vast hangar around 100 kilometres (60 miles) southeast of Dakar, Demba Diop specialises in the production of young fish destined for farming. He had to «start from scratch» using his own funds to set up the farm, as banks knew little about the business, he said. Other barriers include the cost of feed and the availability of good quality young fish, both of which have to be imported from Europe. At Dakar's bustling Soumbedioune market, fishermen hauling their colourful wooden vessels onto shore had mixed reactions to the prospects for aquaculture. «We have enough fish in our seas, but unfortunately it's the foreign trawlers that deprive us of it,» said Olivier Gomes, 36, who ruled out turning to fish farming. Gomes said that he feared price competition from farmed fish. He was considering heading to Europe to make more money. But Alioune Badara, a 54-year-old former fisherman who lived in Europe for a few years before returning to Senegal, said he was tempted by the change. «Today, there are no more fish in the sea. If someone can help me financially with fish farming, I'm very interested,» he said. © Agence France-Presse

The second Seychelles executive leadership programme for 29 of the country's top government officials was launched on Thursday as part of a drive to modernise its civil service, in a ceremony held at the Savoy Resort and Spa. President Wavel Ramkalawan said his hope for this cohort is the same as for the last group, which to “ensure that we continue to build our people and ensure that we have Seychellois in all those positions guiding our nation, helping our people to not only discover their own talents, but also serving the people”. The programme is the result of Seychelles and the UAE signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to modernise and transform the island nation's public service, which took place in Dubai on March 29, 2022, on the sidelines of the World Government Summit. Since then, 27 chief executives and senior officials from Seychelles have graduated from the programme. Abdulla Nasser Lootah, the UAE's Deputy Minister for Cabinet Affairs for Competitiveness and Knowledge Exchange, said «This is a remarkable day for us as we launch the second cohort of the Seychelles executive leadership programme. This is a five-month programme with six modules...And we see that there will be greater programmes in the future; some of the programmes will be general in nature, and some of them will be focused on certain domains.» These include the finance, health and education sectors as well as logistics, urban planning, among others. Meanwhile the Minister for Finance, National Planning and Trade, Naadir Hassan, told the press that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) - sponsored programme, focuses on elements of digital solutions, foresight thinking and other new approaches to ensure that "the leaders in the different organisations in Seychelles have the right skill sets for them to be able to lead these organisations to ensure that they achieve their mandate.” Hassan also said, “This is especially important for us as the modernisation of the public service is one of the main pillars of the National Development strategy, where we are looking at developing leaders in the civil service.” He also explained that this would include the right attributes of strategic thinking to lead the country into the future. The participants of the executive leadership programme have already completed two modules of their training. They will also have the chance to work on a project, aimed at further modernising their respective organisations, as well as spend five weeks in the UAE.

Blades, 54, is offering fans the chance to 'experience the ultimate weekend vibes' playing live DJ sets from his spare bedroom, MailOnline can reveal.

Malawi is endowed with the only fresh water lake in Southern Africa. This land locked Southern African State is also with game reserves and unique mountains.  “There is potential in the north for tourism. There are a lot of places which many haven’t discovered, which Rayoni tourism Centre will explore and bring out. There are […] The post Rayoni to transform tourism in Northern Malawi  appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.

When opening the 3rd Research Dissemination Conference for Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHeS) yesterday, Minister of Health, Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda described the university’s work as not just academic but deeply intertwined with Malawi’s national health policies and guidelines. She expounded that Research Dissemination Conference — that is continuing today and ends tomorrow — is a highly […] The post KUHeS services are not just academic, says Health Minister  appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.

The Malawi Government has been urged to expedite the enactment of the Termination of Pregnancy Bill currently published in the Government Gazette in 2016. Reverend Martin Kalimbe, Board member of Centre for Solutions Journalism (CSJ) said this in a statement issued as the nation joins the world in commemorating the International Safe Abortion Day under […] The post Delay in enacting the Termination of Pregnancy bill worried CSOs appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.

The Small Scale Crossborder Association has suspended the protests against Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) on the Excise tax stamp regime to pave way for negotiations with authorities from MRA, Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Trade. Secretary General for the Association, Frank Zizwani Mhango said the suspension follows the agreement the Association had with officials […] The post Small Scale Cross border traders suspends demos to pave way for negotiations with authorities appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.

After a break from sailing on the waters of Lake Malawi when boarders were closed in 2019 due to Covid-19, a passenger ship from Mozambique called MV Chambo is back to aid Malawians with water transportation. Public Relations Officer for the Ministry of Transport and Public Works, Watson Maingo, confirmed the development to the local […] The post Good news! MV Chambo back on Lake Malawi waters appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.

They have criticised the highways agency, claiming matrix signs to warn other drivers came on too late. One local tyre company said 58 vehicles had been damaged on the stretch of road in Surrey.

Keir Starmer has been slammed for a 'dangerous capitulation' that will hand British territory to 'an ally of Beijing'.

Worryingly, in half of these cases the cancer is already advanced - meaning it is 'almost a death sentence', with just a four per cent survival rate.

Thomas Kwan, 53, a partner at a surgery in Sunderland, was seen in CCTV footage arriving at a Premier Inn in Newcastle donning a hat, tinted spectacles and a mask.

Justin Litovsky, now 30, said he unknowingly went to an 'afternoon barbecue' in the Hamptons with the hip hop mogul, who is currently awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges

[allAfrica] The South African music industry mourns the death of renowned gospel singer Solomon Molokoane, known as Solly Moholo, after he fell ill while on a music tour in Botswana last month.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vanuatu (CAAV) will not assign blame to anyone until the formalities of the pending investigation conducted by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) on Air Taxi are complete.

The Vanuatu Financial Services Commission (VFSC) handed over VT121,839,588 in collected fees to the Vanuatu Government, represented by Minister of Finance Johnny Koanapo, yesterday.

The Office of the Ombudsman has launched an investigation into the recruitment process for teachers, following the mass suspension of over 300 teachers by the Teaching Service Commission (TSC).

Diana Isaac, a student from Tebakor, has come forward to dispute a police statement regarding an incident in which she was allegedly assaulted by officers.

Homegrown talents are taking their place on the international stage. After receiving a record-breaking total of 718 film submissions this year, the upcoming 61st Golden Horse Awards unveiled the list of nominees yesterday (Oct 2) and two films — Stranger Eyes and Mongrel — directed by Singaporeans garnered a total of 13 nominations. Thriller film Stranger Eyes, directed by Yeo Siew Hua, received six nominations: Best Narrative Feature, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor (Lee Kang-sheng), Best Original Screenplay (Yeo Siew Hua), Best Original Film Score and Best Sound Effects. Stranger Eyes is a thriller following Darren, played by Wu Chien-ho (Days We Stared at the Sun, The Last Thieves) whose baby daughter has gone missing. He receives voyeuristic videos from someone who has been filming their daily life and suspects that his neighbour Goh, played by Lee Kang-sheng (Stray Dogs, What Time Is It There?) is behind the disappearance.

Le Ministre de la Justice, Garde des Sceaux, Paul-Marie Gondjout a ouvert ce jeudi 26 septembre 2024 à l'Hôtel Boulevard de Libreville et au nom du Ministre de l'Economie et des participations, les travaux de la 21ème Commission Technique du Groupe d'Action contre le Blanchiment d'Argent en Afrique Centrale (GABAC). Dans son discours d'ouverture, le Garde des Sceaux a souhaité que les présentes assises inscrivent pleinement le GABAC dans les enjeux du moment en matière d'accompagnement (...) - JUSTICE / SUJET_ECRIT_MAISON

Consécutivement à sa participation active à la 79ème Assemblée Générale des Nations Unies qui s'est tenue du 22 au 27 septembre 2024 à New-York, le Président de la Transition a effectué le déplacement de Paris ce jour afin de participer au 19e Sommet de la Francophonie qui aura lieu du 4 au 5 octobre courant. Cette grand-messe de la Francophonie organisée à nouveau en France après 33 ans réunira 88 Chefs d'Etat et de gouvernement de l'Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) (...) - COOPERATION / SUJET_ECRIT_MAISON

[allAfrica] Senegal's Ministry of Sport decided not to renew Aliou Cissé's contract as head of the country's national soccer team. Cissé's contract expired at the end of August, in what is described as an unexpected move by most.

A first-half penalty earned Lille a shock 1-0 home victory over holders Real Madrid in the Champions League group phase on Wednesday, ending the 15-times European Cup winners' 14-game unbeaten run in the competition.

Mogadishu (HOL) – The National Consultative Council (NCC) meeting between regional and federal leaders entered its second day on Thursday, focusing on the upcoming elections, national security, and political stability.

Beledweyne (HOL) – The chief of the Hawadle community, Ugas Yusuf Ugas Hassan Ugas Khalif, has successfully overseen the removal of several illegal checkpoints along the road between Beledweyne and El-gal in the Hiiraan region.

Get the latest news from the 2024 campaign trail in the contest between Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump.

Uganda has established a state-owned mining company in an effort to increase control over the sector Read Full Article at RT.com

The FSB claims to have thwarted the abduction of a child, masterminded by a Ukrainian intelligence agent for personal benefit Read Full Article at RT.com

Un an après sa libération de la prison de Libreville, Jean Rémy Yama a animé une conférence de presse ce mercredi 02 octobre 2024. Une conférence de presse au cours de laquelle, l'enseignant, le syndicaliste et l'homme politique témoigne non seulement sa reconnaissance au Président de la Transition, Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, mais rend hommage à toutes et tous ceux qui de près ou de loin, l'ont soutenu dans son combat, même étant dans le milieu carcéral de la capitale gabonaise. (...) - LIBRE PROPOS / SUJET_ECRIT_MAISON